"Good evening, everyone!"
"You are watching the live broadcast of the second round of the 2014-15 Bundesliga season: VfL Wolfsburg vs. Eintracht Frankfurt!"
"Frankfurt is a name familiar to many. They were one of the sixteen founding members of the professional Bundesliga back in 1963. For the following twenty years, they remained a fixture in the top flight, consistently finishing in the upper-mid table and securing five third-place finishes. In 1992, they famously missed out on the title to Stuttgart by a mere two points."
"Our own legend, Yang Chen, is a celebrated figure at Frankfurt. During his years there, he achieved remarkable results and statistics."
"Interestingly, when Yang Chen first joined Frankfurt, his situation was quite similar to David Qin's current predicament."
"At the time, Yang Chen wasn't a guaranteed starter for Beijing Guoan. The squad was packed with forwards—not just foreign imports, but local stars like Gao Feng and Cao Xiandong. Yet, the man who struggled for minutes in the Jia-A League produced stellar performances once he touched down in the Bundesliga."
"In 23 appearances, he netted 8 goals, becoming an indispensable scorer for Frankfurt and playing a pivotal role in their successful fight against relegation. Even now, thinking of those stories on the banks of the Rhine makes my blood boil. Yang Chen's journey wasn't just about his own struggle and glory; it carried the hopes of every Chinese fan. Let's hope David Qin can follow in those footsteps and begin a legendary journey of his own."
Liu Jiayuan spoke with genuine emotion. As a commentator, his greatest wish was to see a compatriot competing in a top-tier league. The sense of shared pride was something no foreign player, regardless of their skill, could ever truly provide.
Tweet—!
The referee's whistle signaled the start of the match.
Wolfsburg lined up in the 4-2-3-1 formation that had been their staple the previous season. From back to front: Sebastian Jung, Naldo, Robin Knoche, and Ricardo Rodríguez formed the defensive line. Luiz Gustavo partnered Josuha Guilavogui in the double-pivot. Kevin De Bruyne had been granted his wish to play as the central playmaker, flanked by Vieirinha and Maximilian Arnold. Leading the line as the lone striker was the 36-year-old veteran, Ivica Olić.
Wolfsburg kicked off and immediately cycled the ball back to the defense, waiting for Frankfurt to press forward before quickly shifting play to the flank to find Rodríguez. The Swiss international was a sharp blade on the wing, using his pace and physicality to drive forward. However, without Ivan Perišić ahead of him to draw defenders away, he looked somewhat restricted as he tried to find his rhythm.
Thud! The dull sound of a physical collision echoed. Just as the Frankfurt fullback lunged in, Makoto Hasebe seized the moment to stick his foot in.
"Excellent double-teaming!"
"Wolfsburg is trying to pierce the flank, but I have to say, it's going to be difficult! Arnold isn't Perišić; he lacks that explosive chemistry with Rodríguez to perform high-speed overlaps and shred the wings. Let's see Frankfurt's counter!"
On the pitch, Hasebe won the ball and immediately looked forward, wasting no time. The rest of the Frankfurt squad surged up the field in unison.
"Here!" Hasebe gestured, threading a direct pass through the lines.
With Rodríguez caught too far forward, a massive gap had opened on the left flank. Stefan Aigner (the Frankfurt winger) latched onto the ball and sprinted toward the byline at full tilt.
"Frankfurt!"
"Frankfurt!"
The traveling fans erupted in a roar. A moment later, a high cross was whipped into the box. Haris Seferović muscled Naldo aside and powered a header toward the goal.
"Close! So close!"
"If Naldo hadn't managed to interfere slightly, the scoreline would have changed right there! Wolfsburg needs to adjust their wing defense. At the very least, they can't let Rodríguez charge forward without restriction; he needs to remember his defensive duties."
Liu Jiayuan's analysis mirrored Dieter Hecking's thoughts exactly. On the touchline, Hecking gestured with a downward palm, signaling Rodríguez to hold his position.
After the initial scare, the match settled into a stalemate. Frankfurt lacked the creative spark to tear through Wolfsburg's central defense, while the Wolves, having stabilized their tempo, began to look to De Bruyne to orchestrate the attack.
In the 26th minute, Luiz Gustavo clattered into Lucas Piazon while winning a header, nodding the ball forward. De Bruyne brought it down on his chest, but immediately felt a massive force at his back.
Makoto Hasebe.
His years of experience in the Bundesliga had gifted him a predatory defensive instinct. The Frankfurt manager had emphasized De Bruyne's threat before the match, and Hasebe was sticking to him like a shadow. The two grappled like bulls, but ultimately, De Bruyne's natural gifts won out. Those who had coached the Belgian always said he possessed a body blessed by God.
Hasebe let out a muffled grunt but stayed tight, behaving like a piece of sticky toffee.
"He refuses to get bogged down—he goes for the long ball!"
"Precision passing! He finds the veteran Olić making a run. How will the Croatian handle it? He lets fly!"
"Beautiful! Kevin Trapp pulls off a spectacular save! Here comes a corner for Wolfsburg."
Inside the Volkswagen Arena, De Bruyne pointed his index finger toward the ground before swinging his right leg.
Snap! With a crisp sound, the ball curled sharply toward the penalty spot. There, Knoche had muscled his way into a pocket of space. David Qin instinctively stood up from the bench as he saw Naldo charge in from the edge of the area, hammering a header into the net before Trapp could even react.
1-0!
"Naldo with the header!"
"Wolfsburg's set-piece routine gives them the lead! It seems a team that can push Bayern to a 1-2 scoreline really does have teeth."
On the pitch, the bald-headed Naldo pumped his fists in excitement. As a Brazilian, he had the soul of an attacker; he possessed immense aerial ability, a long-range passing game, and a mean free-kick.
The home crowd was still celebrating when, just eight minutes later, the game took a sudden turn. Frankfurt shifted gears. Hasebe sent a raking diagonal pass toward the flank. Piazon received it, played a quick wall-pass with Seferović, and unleashed an unexpected shot from the left side of the box.
Bang! Sebastian Jung instinctively stuck out a foot. He connected with the ball, but the intervention was disastrous. The shot, originally destined for the near post, took a wicked deflection and looped toward the far corner.
Max Grün could only watch helplessly as his clean-sheet bonus vanished into thin air.
"An own goal!"
"A glaring error! Sebastian Jung, on his home debut, has just handed his former club a massive gift!"
"Congratulations to Frankfurt! In the 35th minute, they've leveled the score!"